We couldn’t let Karen quietly slip out of the door despite her request to do so..

Karen has been Events Manager in the Bradfield Society Office for 10 years and as such has not only been an exceptional colleague but also a valued member of the Bradfield community as a whole…

The Bradfield Society is about building relationships and in this Karen has excelled, bringing many alumni and friends together in her meticulously organised events; from regional lunches, to alumni pub nights and large scale events such as the fantastic Open Gardens event for the National Garden Scheme last summer and of course the brilliant 175 Summer Gathering. So many people have felt Karen’s warmth and attention to detail over this time, as she takes care to ensure that all guests are in the right place, at the right time and with the right people. She is always keen to ensure that no-one attends an event alone and does her very best to ‘buddy’ attendees up wherever possible, requiring extensive phone-calls and chasing to find the perfect lunchtime partner and organising lifts for those who are without transport.

Karen also loves history and has been a fantastic ambassador of the Bradfield archive, unearthing and sharing stories from Bradfield's heritage. She also coordinated the brilliant visually stunning projects that have really brought the archive to life; the Bradfield 175 Timeline and the information boards that now enliven the campus. These are a brilliant legacy of her time here and Dr John Cardwell, College Archivist will certainly miss her support.

Her knowledge will be missed and we are pleased that she will not be far away and still intending to remain engaged as a friend, which we will really appreciate. We wish her and Andy every happiness in their now joint retirement and we know for sure that the itinerary, accommodation, flights etc will be immaculately researched and organised. We look forward to seeing her around Pangbourne, at the Golf course or indeed at one of our future events.

All the best for the future Karen :)